Weather Report


Fifty-three at daybreak,
the river meandering to its big cousin,
Michigami.

Time passes slowly, I say
as the last four years feel like
a cold decade of doubt, anger,
and lonesomeness.

In honor of the mighty Masquigon,
I start the morning with a cold shower,
baptized once again in glacial render,
the spark needed to wake purer,
more genuine.

Oh, how I love to beat the sun
and its harlequin pageantry.

Pink and blue and orange clouds
rising like once dormant volcanoes.

I’m drunk on the idea
I’ll be someone new tomorrow.

So Long, See You Tomorrow


Note: This was written August 8th, 2019. On the fifth anniversary of Berman’s death, I remembered this little thought existed.

David Berman died yesterday.

This made the three dollar drinks at the hotel bar
a little bittersweet, and though the Two-Hearted Ale
was near perfect, and Detroit walked off in the ninth,
I kept coming back to David all alone in Chicago, or
alone enough to pull the plug, and how over the years
I too have felt like checking out from time to time –
ultimately glad I never did. It is tragic how short
life is, how demanding and time consuming, keeping
us from what makes us happy.

I don’t know.

I hope David found happiness. I listened to his final
music early this morning in the backseat on the drive
to the Upper Peninsula. It was there the whole time.

Our boat trip to Pictured Rocks was canceled
thanks to high winds and choppy waters, instead
hiking to Miners Castle in the crisp afternoon, and
at one point I looked over the railing at the scenic
overlook and pictured myself jumping, only
I never hit the ground.